Travel Day! …oops make that DAYS.
This is the first blog post that we are writing from Ecuador! Eek!
Our travel to Ecuador was a little more exciting than we planned, and we are so grateful to be here.
Zoey was NOT a fan of the packing suitcases situation. She helped in her own way…
We made it to the airport with 11 suitcases, 2 carry-ons, and 1 dog. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the curbside service and send-off!
Despite lots of practice, training, and anti-anxiety meds, Zoey got spooked when trying to get situated under the airplane seat and refused to lie down. It was time for take-off and she still would not cooperate, so we were asked to de-plane. It was a stressful moment - we weren’t sure if she would be able to fly with us after all.
The kind flight crew saw that we were worried and gave us a new dog carrier to try out - they didn’t even charge us for it! Zoey seemed more comfortable in it, even though it was smaller. We made it onto a different flight to Atlanta later that day, and she even rode MARTA for the first time!
We were pretty excited to see these wonderful friends, and they even offered to host us for the night in Atlanta. We had a sweet visit and fun meal at the site of their first date!
The next day, we set out to try again. There is only one flight per day to Quito, so we had all day to prepare. We called Zoey’s vet and she encouraged us to give Zoey more anti-anxiety medicine so she would feel more comfortable. We headed back to the airport and Zoey was feelin’ fine!
She fit well and snugly under the seat. This was our view for the 5 hour flight. She slept most of the time! The flight crew thought she was super cute, and we were able to leave her head out of the carrier.
We had an easy flight and landed in Quito late that night. We were all happy to get off the plane!
Seeing these welcoming faces waiting for us was the best feeling. Some of the members of the church where Caroline worked in 2015 came to greet us at the airport. We are excited to work alongside them!
Our travel certainly did not go as planned. Looking back - it went even better! In the middle it was hard to see, but God redeemed the entire adventure. We got some unexpected time with dear friends, Zoey was more comfortable on the long flight with more meds and a better carrier, and we did eventually sucessfully make it to Quito.
We are so grateful for your prayers and travel tips. Thank you! We look forward to jumping into life here in Quito!
Abrazos, J&C
